Courrèges luncheon for Blaffer stars mod looks at Saks Fifth Avenue
Published 11:09 am, Thursday, November 7, 2013
Whether you were a part of artist Andy Warhol's exploits or simply loved the film "Factory," counterculture devotees know Courrèges.
As a mod squad staple, the Parisian fashion house founded by André Courrèges in 1961 raised hemlines and a few eyebrows with a clothing movement that mimicked the swinging '60s geometrical outlook. Courrèges manufactured a space-age era in fashion with three-ply wool trapezoidal skirts, vinyl moto jackets, bright white Beatle boots and PVC flight suits.
As a preview of sorts to Blaffer Art Museum's mod-inspired "Ready, Steady, Go!" gala this spring, the University of Houston museum partnered with Saks Fifth Avenue to host a private luncheon featuring a fashion presentation of Courrèges's line direct from Paris. Over chicken salad and chocolate bread pudding from the store's 51Fifteen restaurant, gala chairs Cullen Geiselman, Ryan Gordon and Leslie Hull (whose co-chair husband Mark Hull missed the ladies lunch) tuned into the Courrèges-clad models while the French brand's director of communications Margot Christmann pointed out key collection pieces from the spring/summer 2014 collection for the 30 or so attendees. Pieces such as snaking, zipper front dresses, patent princess coats and capes are exclusively available at Saks.
Among the lunch bunch: Isabel David, Judy Nyquist, Heidi Gerger, Jo Furr and Blaffer director and chief curator Claudia Schmuckli, who introduced the chairs and gala honorees Joanne Guest Wilson and Welcome Wilson Sr. - as well as announced Saks Fifth Avenue as the luxury retail sponsor for the May 17 fête.